Following Embracer Group's and Free Radical Design's failed attempt at a TimeSplitters revival, things have been looking pretty bleak for the future of the beloved first-person shooter series, originally made famous on the PS2.

Not only has Free Radical Design once again been put to rest, but the studio's co-founder, Steve Ellis, has also commented publicly that he may now be done with the series for good, calling the recent revival attempt a "big letdown" and expressing sympathy for the younger members of the team who didn't get to "see through their first game."

Because of this, it doesn't look likely that an official continuation will happen anytime soon, but what we do have in its place is an ambitious new fan game for PC, called TimeSplitters Rewind, which should hopefully go some way to easing the pain.

TimeSplitters Rewind has been in development since 2013 and has been a rare source of optimism inside the community, especially of late. It is designed to be a greatest hits collection "of maps, modes, leagues, challenges, and story content across the original trilogy of TimeSplitters games" and has just been released in Early Access for the very first time, as of last Sunday (November 23rd).

As outlined in the trailer, which was released alongside the announcement, the early access version of the game contains the full campaign for TimeSplitters 1 (available to play in co-op), as well as 28 maps, 32 challenges, 96 characters, 41 weapons, and a ton of modes to work through, with the caveat being that, if you check it out now, you may encounter some bugs and missing features that are still to be implemented.

Amazingly, the game has all been created entirely for free, and even has the backing of Free Radical Design co-founder and TimeSplitters designer/director, David Doak, who is lending his support by boosting the project to his followers on Twitter/X.

You can download the game here, if you want to give it a try yourself.

We have some exciting news for N64 fans. Another build of Sammy Corporation and Racdym's cancelled Star Fox-style shoot 'em up Viewpoint 2064 has been dumped and preserved online.

This time by the YouTuber and video game preservationist Hard4Games.

Viewpoint 2064, as the name indicates, was a 3D follow-up to the Neo Geo top-down isometric shooter from Aicom and Sammy, which was also subsequently ported to the Sega Genesis, FM Towns, Sharp X68000, Sony PlayStation, and Windows computers.

It was in development in the late '90s and is believed to have been shown off at Nintendo SpaceWorld in 1999, as well as Tokyo Game Show, with the original plan being to release the title on November 11th, 1999. However, despite garnering some enthusiastic previews from members of the media, such as IGN64, who praised its "polygonal graphics", "lock-on system", and "impressive... boss battles", it would eventually end up missing this date, being delayed several more times throughout 2000, before quietly being cancelled in 2001.

Following that, it then pretty much faded into obscurity until a prototype cartridge of the game surfaced on eBay in 2015. This then led to a group of video game preservationists tracking down a copy of the game, which resulted in a dump by GamingAlexandria in 2020.

As noted by Hard4Games in his recent video going over the latest dump, the earlier version of the game dumped by GamingAlexandria in 2020 was incomplete, featuring issues with collision detection, a different UI from the advertised screenshots, missing boss fights, and a developer debug menu. This new build, however, appears to be final, fixing many of the above issues, and being referred to as a "Master" on the cart itself.

You can download the game here, but we highly recommend checking out Hard4Games' video for a full breakdown of the differences between the two builds.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is one of the games I remember most fondly when thinking about the Game Boy Advance. The console was still fresh and new back in 2001, and soon after launch it was playing host to a portable version of one of my favourite SNES games of all time. It felt too good to be true.

I still enjoy Super Circuit, even after almost a quarter of a century, so it amazes me now to hear that the game has been "fixed" by fans to make it even better.

As reported by Video Game Esoterica, Super Circuit is, in fact, hiding a dirty secret. While the game runs at 60fps, the track itself is rendering at half that frame rate. Thankfully, a new patch created by antimattur solves this issue.

"This patch modifies the map rendering code in mksc to update at 60fps," explains the developer. "This has no impact on performance as the map scaling parameters were already being updated at 60fps, but were only being read at 30fps."

You can grab the patch here, but you'll need to supply your own ROM.

If you thought seeing Super Mario 64 on PlayStation was weird, well, we're not through yet.

That's because Frogbull, the homebrew maverick behind demos of Metal Gear Solid and Crash Bandicoot on Sega Saturn and Metal Gear Solid 2 on Dreamcast, has just shared some incredible new footage of an "old project" he was once working on — a proof of concept of Insomniac's 1998 platformer Spyro the Dragon running on the N64.

According to Frogbull, the project has been around for quite some time and represented the first-ever steps he took into the world of N64 homebrew. However, it is now abandoned, with the developer stating in the video description that he has "learned that a very promising and advanced decompilation project has been started by Altro50", meaning that "an actual port" (his words, not ours) could one day end up coming to the console instead.

With his homemade attempt, therefore, no longer serving "much purpose", he's decided to share some of the footage from it online, posting an almost 4-minute-long video of what he was able to achieve.

This video sees Spyro exploring the opening Artisans area of the game, and is presented "as it is", which Frogbull states means it is "raw, full of missing textures, [and] animations that are implemented but not yet tied to actions (like gliding, charging, etc.)".

Nevertheless, it still looks impressive to us as a demo of what potentially could have been, giving us a brief window into what the original Spyro may have looked like, had Insomniac developed the game for other machines, as well.

If you want to find out more about how it was made, Frogbull has posted a behind-the-scenes breakdown on his Patreon, though this is currently locked behind a paywall.

Nintendo dropped a major Switch 2 and Switch firmware update earlier this month, and it's now followed this up with a much smaller patch.

Although this firmware update isn't a big one, it does appear to address some important issues. This includes an issue where a few Error Codes would repeatedly occur when attempting to perform a transfer between the Switch and Switch 2. There are also some fixes for connection issues.

Apart from this, is some general system improvements on both platforms. They're focused on making both devices super stable. Here's the full rundown, courtesy of Nintendo's official support pages:

Switch 2 Update Version 21.0.1 (Released November 24, 2025)

- Fixed an issue where Error Code: 2011-0301 or Error Code: 2168-0002 would repeatedly occur on a Nintendo Switch when attempting a system transfer using local communication from a Nintendo Switch system to a Nintendo Switch 2 system.

- Fixed an issue where sometimes, after waking up the system from Sleep Mode or turning off Airplane Mode, wireless controllers or Bluetooth audio devices were unable to connect.

- General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

Switch Update Ver. 21.0.1 (Released November 24, 2025)

- Fixed an issue where Error Code: 2011-0301 or Error Code: 2168-0002 would repeatedly occur on a Nintendo Switch when attempting a system transfer using local communication from a Nintendo Switch system to a Nintendo Switch 2 system.

- General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

If there is anything else revealed about this latest updates for the Switch 2 and Switch, we'll be sure to let you know.

Once again, this follows the rollout of Version 21.0.0 earlier this month, which included updates to the HOME Menu, GameChat, Game Card-related updates and more. Nintendo upgraded the Switch 2's controllers as well earlier this month.

If you've enjoyed the beats in Super Mario Party Jamboree and want to be able to listen to them wherever you go, the game's soundtrack has now been added to the Nintendo Music app.

This one is an absolutely huge soundtrack, featuring a whopping 296 tracks with a runtime of 6 hours and 30 minutes in total. Nintendo also notes how this includes music from the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.

In case you missed it, Super Mario Party Jamboree got a major update in July for the Switch 2, adding Jamboree TV. This includes new minigames supporting the camera, Joy-Con mouse controls and more. You can find out more about this new content in our review:

Assassin's Creed Shadows is on its way to the Switch 2 this December, and ahead of the big release, Ubisoft has announced a new collab with the popular manga and anime series Attack on Titan.

Assassin's Creed Shadows x Attack on Titan event begins on 25th November 2025 and runs until 22nd December 2025, so it will still be live when the Switch 2 version is released. Here are the details via Ubisoft's official website:

With a kidnapped Titan-Shifter as their weapon, a mysterious, power-hungry faction has infiltrated feudal Japan, setting their sights on total domination.

But when an attempt to rescue the Shifter fails, the lone survivor (with a dark secret) recruits Naoe and Yasuke to help her stop the group from unleashing the terror of a Titan on Japan.

The quest giver is in the Yamashiro region, North of Hanazo Tower (the icon is displayed on the map). Note that the quest will not be within the objective board until the player interacts with the quest giver.

Unlock conditions: Unlock Yasuke as a playable character.

During the quest, players can find customization for their hideout (banners and a statue) and upon quest completion, players will earn a crystal katana for Naoe.

Alongside the story quest, there will also be an Attack on Titan Dual Pack. Inspired by the Attack on Titan universe, this pack will include outfits, weapons, trinkets, and a new mount. Available from the in-game store starting November 25th.

Images: Ubisoft

Ubisoft has also announced its free-to-play title Brawlhalla will be getting an Attack on Titan crossover on 3rd December 2025.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches for Switch 2 on 2nd December 2025. Will you be checking it out on Nintendo's new hardware? What do you think about this crossover? Let us know in the comments.

A week out from the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the Switch 2 and Switch, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has shared its official rating summary of the game.

It once again highlights the title's 'T' for "Teen" rating, as the game features "animated blood and violence". Here's the official rundown. This same rating was originally spotted on Nintendo's US website in September. Here's the summary in full:

"Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is rated T for Teen by the ESRB with Animated Blood and Violence. Also includes In-Game Purchases. This is a first-person adventure game in which players assume the role of a space bounty hunter who must find a way home. Players explore a planet to uncover its mystery while engaging in combat against alien creatures and space pirates. Players use power beams, missiles, and elemental attacks to battle enemies in frenetic combat. Combat is highlighted by blaster effects, frequent explosions, and screen-shaking effects. A handful of alien creatures and boss characters emit blue/green blood when shot."

As previously mentioned, this age rating is consistent with the main Metroid Prime games before the fourth entry. And once again, here's ESRB's basic summary of this particular age rating, describing what a game under this classification may contain:

"Teen - content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language."

"In-game Purchases" are also specifically mentioned for the original Switch version of the game, which appears to be for the game's Upgrade Pack.

In other Metroid Prime 4 news, Nintendo has also recently revealed the eShop file sizes of the game on the Switch 2 and Switch. A demo for the game has also been spotted at Switch 2 kiosks over the past week.

It's a very interesting time for Japanese RPGs — and not just because Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked all sorts of arguments amongst genre enthusiasts.

Indeed, it feels like we've been hitting some serious highs with JRPGs of late, with critically acclaimed titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter making big waves recently.

It goes without saying that Metaphor developer Atlus remains at the forefront of this modern JRPG push — and that makes director Katsura Hashino's new comments all the more interesting.

Hashino, who's spearheaded the Persona series and the aforementioned Metaphor, believes that the genre is now on the cusp of evolution — something he calls "JRPG 3.0".

During a recent talk about artistry in media (as reported by 4Gamer and translated by GamesRadar), Hashino explained that he views the genre in three distinct stages: old school, classic JRPGs are "1.0", modern and current JRPGs are "2.0", and future JRPGs are "3.0".

He suggests that modern JRPGs are defined by being "higher quality due to how much more responsive they are to the player", setting them apart from older adventures. In other words, aspects like more accessible design and increasingly involved gameplay mechanics are now the norm.

But what about the "3.0" era? Well, Hashino says we're almost there, and he wants to be part of this new wave.

"There will be a greater dimension to these games and they'll change the genre's structure and presentation at a fundamental level," Hashino claims, without going into too much detail.

It's a fascinating subject, we think, especially since current JRPGs are already trying new things

For example, action-based mechanics seem to be seeping into the genre more and more; Metaphor and the latest Trails games both utilise action combat as a part of their overall battle systems, while the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series adopts a full-on hybrid between action and command combat.

While Hashino appears to be talking about evolution on a more general level, increasingly popular trends like action-based gameplay will contribute to how future JRPGs present themselves.

What do you think the future of JRPGs looks like? Is Hashino right? Are we about to behold the next step? Level up in the comments section below.

It's been an unusually rocky ride for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which has been widely panned and appears to be selling below the series' usual pace.

While Activision has yet to provide any official sales information itself (which is kinda telling on its own), some data has begun to emerge, including a weak UK launch and, now, a very weak Japanese launch.

As shared by Zuby_Tech on X, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has had the worst Japanese physical launch sales in the franchise's history:

According to the above table, the new game has sold 12,311 copies at Japanese retail, fewer than any other entry, dating all the way back to 2007's Call of Duty 3.

Now, Japan has never been a huge market for the series, and we should remember this is purely based on physical sales data. However, the sales figure is less than half of last year's Black Ops 6, and again, this trend downward is reflected in other markets.

Speculation about why the game is struggling comes down to other games capturing people's attention, like Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders, as well as a general lack of enthusiasm for the new CoD.

Whatever the case, it's another bump in the road for this year's game.

We just had a pretty chill weekend amidst Xbox 360 celebrating 20 years of age over the last few days, and while I was personally relaxing with YouTube on Sunday evening, I came across this awesome Digital Foundry video unboxing a brand-new launch Xbox 360 from 2005.

As you can see in the above video, hosts John and Rich get all nostalgic while getting stuck into an Xbox 360 Core model that had been left untouched for 20 years. Everything's here - from the original inserts and green packaging bags to the console itself and that gloriously pristine controller.

"November 22nd marks the 20th anniversary of Xbox 360 - the console that enjoyed unprecedented success for Microsoft, and is closely associated with the origins of Digital Foundry itself. To celebrate the occasion, Rich sourced an untouched Xbox 360 Core System, left in storage for 20 years. John is on unboxing duty, discovering the wonders that lie within that signature Xbox-green box, then hooking up the console to a CRT to re-live the 2005 launch "Blades" dashboard experience."

As the quote above notes, this of course means that the iconic 'Blades' dashboard is present and well; looking typically sleek and snappy as the team navigates this time machine back to 2005. Honestly, take us back - what a console and what a time to be gaming with Xbox!

John hooking the machine up to a classic CRT TV was also a nice touch and typically on-brand for the DF Retro host; once he'd stuck that in PAL-60 mode it was running a dream on there. It's also genuinely quite nice to see Rich grinning through the entire video as the nostalgia poured in - we felt similar just watching it to be honest!

The Xbox 360's 20th anniversary has now come and gone, and while Microsoft has been rather subdued with it, fans and the press have been lapping up the console's big birthday. That includes us at Pure Xbox of course - we'll link to some of our other recent 360 content down below.

Xbox's latest partnership has been revealed, and we've got some new shoes on the way!

Yes, the Xbox-Inspired "Crocs Classic Clog" will be going on sale from this Tuesday, November 25th. Xbox is only teasing a first look right now, which you can see in the social media video below:

The Xbox "Crocs Classic Clog" has already been revealed on the official Crocs website though, with lots of details being shared along with some all-important screenshots. Firstly, let's look at the description:

"The Xbox Classic Clog was designed to kick back and game. This clog-meets-controller style features fixed joysticks and buttons with a smooth matte finish and branded Xbox rivet."

• Fixed dimensional controller joysticks and buttons

• Branded Xbox rivet

• Incredibly light and fun to wear

• Water-friendly and buoyant; weighs only ounces

• Designed to enhance breathability

• Easy to clean and quick to dry

• Pivoting heel straps for a more secure fit

• Backstrap customizable with Jibbitz™ charms

• Iconic Crocs Comfort™: Lightweight. Flexible. 360-degree comfort.

Now, let's peek at those images! You might be surprised how these look from different angles - as mentioned, they're literally based on an Xbox controller complete with analog sticks, buttons and a d-pad. A unique style for sure!

We'll throw those (low-res for now) screenshots down below, along with a link to the Crocs website where you'll be able to pre-order them for $80 USD beginning on November 25th.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

Xbox Classic Clog

• $80.00

• Crocs

Liking the look of the Xbox Crocs? Tell us in the comments section down below.

Nintendo's weekly maintenance schedule has been released, and weirdly, the only console getting any love this week is the Nintendo 3DS.

Reported on by Nintendo Everything, the Nintendo 3DS's available network services will be down between 3pm PST to 4:30pm PST today, 24th November 2025.

Of course, that might sound a little confusing given that online servers for the 3DS and Wii U shut down over a year ago. But many people still play their 3DS's, and you can redownload games off of the eShop on the system.

So any maintenance that takes place today is likely just to iron out a few kinks Nintendo discovered. For when this takes place in your timezone, here's a handy list (expect it to run about 1hr 30mins)

• North America: 3pm PST / 4pm MST / 5pm CST / 6pm EST

• UK/Ire: 11pm GMT

• Europe: 12am (Tue) CET / 1am (Tue) EET

• Asia/Oceania: 8am (Tue) JST / 7am (Tue) AWST / 10am (Tue) AEDT

• Your Local Time: 4pm, Mon 24th Nov 2025 Mountain Standard Time

Image: Nintendo

Will that stop people worrying? Probably not, as evidenced on Reddit. Nintendo isn't going to just pull the plug without saying anything. Plus, the Big N performed maintenance on Nintendo Network ID as recently as October. The company is always doing something with older software.

Essentially, this is business as usual. You probably just won't be able to download 3DS games for a couple of hours.

Well, we're not sure anyone saw this crossover coming.

Just confirmed by Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed Shadows' next collaboration will be with... Attack on Titan.

The super popular manga and anime property will be featured in a new quest, which seems to task Naoe and Yasuke with stopping a titan transformation. No, we're not making this up.

All we've got to go on right now is the above teaser trailer, but the quest itself goes live on the 25th November. That's tomorrow at the time of writing.

However, it's also worth noting that this is a limited time deal. The quest will only be available until the 15th December, 2025.

What's more, the cool Attack on Titan equipment seen in the promotional material actually seems to be part of a paid DLC pack that accompanies the update — which is rather disappointing.

What the heck do you make of this one? Aim for the back of the neck in the comments section below.

Developer Shift Up has revealed some of its own data about Stellar Blade, the Sony-published action game that launched on PC earlier this year.

The game, which features main character Eve on a quest to save the planet from monstrous forces, is reportedly the "best-selling PlayStation-exclusive launch IP in history", presumably meaning PC, and also presumably excluding Helldivers 2.

The above image is taken from an investor presentation. As it highlights, the action title reached a peak concurrent player count of over 192,000, which is an impressive feat for a single-player experience.

In addition, sales across both PC and PS5 put Stellar Blade at over 3 million copies. The figure will be higher, as this datapoint in the image only reflects the game's first five days on PC.

Stellar Blade has been a big hit, then, and has resonated very well with PC players. We can't imagine all the mod support has hurt its standings, either, but we probably shouldn't dwell on that for too long.

Anyway, it's fair to say Sony did well to snag this one.

As for what's next, the developer has said it plans to make a sequel, and is currently hiring for the next Stellar Blade.

When you think of landmark western RPGs of the modern era, it's likely that two games immediately come to mind: The Witcher 3, and Baldur's Gate 3.

It's obviously the latter that's had more impact in recent times, setting a new benchmark for choice-driven adventures — to the point where it's now being named as an inspiration for The Witcher 4. It's funny how these things work, isn't it?

"There was a lot of inspiration in what Baldur's Gate 3 did," CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski told PC Gamer.

However, as you'd expect, the Polish company isn't suddenly going to pivot towards making a Larian-style RPG — despite having a clear appreciation for Baldur's Gate 3 and what it was able to achieve.

"I think we're still sticking to what was in Witcher 3, Cyberpunk. But we don't want to just make another game like that, just with better graphics. We do want to innovate," Nowakowski continues.

He then digs a little deeper, commenting: "That's the kind of game [Larian] can make. But a lot of stuff with how they can interact with the world and what it does was, for sure, some inspiration to us."

We suppose it'll be interesting to see just how CDPR's next games evolve from what came before. The Witcher 3 was — and still is — widely praised for its role-playing potential, so if its successor can build on that, we'll be in for a treat.

What are your hopes and dreams for The Witcher 4 — and even the next Cyberpunk? Choose your dialogue options carefully in the comments section below.

Oblivion Remastered was a hit for Bethesda — despite its dodgy performance issues — and the publisher's keen to repeat the level of hype that was swirling when the remake launched back in April.

Basically, Bethesda's all-in on the idea of shadow dropping its games — that is, releasing them with no prior announcement and watching fans lose their minds.

According to Bethesda Game Studios director Tom Mustaine, it's company boss Todd Howard who's pushing for the continued shadow drop approach.

Mustaine told GamesRadar: "Todd Howard, the boss man, he's wanted to shadow drop things for a long time because it's so great to be able to say, 'Here's the thing, get it today.' It's very valuable."

Mustaine goes on to outline his own thoughts on sudden releases, commenting that "we all have short attention spans now [...] There's Grand Theft Auto, for example. I want that today, right? So it is an interesting strategy... I don't have any ideas of what would be next, but I hope [Oblivion Remastered's] not the last."

We agree with him in that it's certainly an interesting strategy — but we also don't think that a shadow drop guarantees success.

For example, in Oblivion's case, we can't just ignore the fact that the game was leaked numerous times up until said shadow drop. There was a marketing campaign going on — it was just driven by fans rather than the company.

Still, in an age where big budget projects can take half a decade to actually see the light of day, we're not against Bethesda's potential plans. At the very least, it's probably a more exciting alternative to having a game be announced years before its eventual launch.

What do you make of Bethesda's perspective? Are shadow drops the future? Keep your eyes peeled in the comments section below.

Microsoft has implemented multiple price increases for the Xbox Series X and S over the past few years, and a new report suggests this might not be the end for current-gen Xbox price hikes.

Coming from Moore's Law Is Dead on YouTube — a tech insider who we've covered here on the site before — Microsoft has apparently not accounted for potential RAM cost increases that are likely to come as a result of a new deal struck between OpenAI and several manufacturing partners. The YouTuber says that Sony, for example, has stockpiled RAM supplies at a lower cost, while Microsoft hasn't employed the same tactic.

And, with this OpenAI deal taking up to 40% of the world's supply of DRAM off the market for other buyers, this could cause issues for any company that needs to purchase it for manufacturing; such as Microsoft. At the time of posting no price increases have been announced by Xbox, but Moore's Law Is Dead says Series X|S prices "could go up soon, or supply could just entirely dry up". Microsoft "didn't plan ahead at all, apparently", the YouTuber claims.

We've thrown the video up above if you'd like a bit more context on the source and this big RAM debacle at large; they talk about Xbox roughly 17 minutes in. Also, down below is a quick pointer towards some Black Friday console sales if you're interested, and another topic we covered via Moore's Law Is Dead recently - one that goes into detail on some of Microsoft's potential next generation plans.

Remedy's co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak hasn't exactly had the quickest start to life on Xbox, but the team vowed to support the game back in the summer; announcing a major update for later in the year. Well, that 'Rogue Protocol' update has now been delayed, as the studio "makes sure everything feels right" for its launch.

Announcing the news via Steam, the Control dev says that its cross-platform voice chat feature is now live, but that the accompanying 'major update' has been delayed to January 2026. In short, the team goes on to say that it simply needed "extra time" to make sure Rogue Protocol is "polished, balanced, and worthy of your time".

"While we’re excited to roll that out today, the Rogue Protocol Major Update, originally planned to launch alongside it still needs a bit more time. We’re now aiming to release Rogue Protocol in January 2026.

As we mentioned in the September roadmap, this update will include a completely new game mode. The extra time will help us make sure everything feels right: polished, balanced, and worthy of your time."

Despite this last-minute delay, Remedy has shared more details on the new mode coming in this update; 'Endless Shift'. As the name suggests, this is a horde mode that tasks players with surviving "endless waves of increasingly dangerous enemies". That's not exactly the most original addition to FBC: Firebreak here, but the studio is at least hoping to put its own Control-universe spin on things with its unique theme and setting.

Anyway, you can read a little bit more about this planned update via the Steam link down below, ahead of its new January 2026 release date. In the meantime, FBC: Firebreak remains an Xbox Game Pass title following its day one launch back in June.

Over the last 18 months or so, we've seen Microsoft pivot to releasing games on rival platforms - including PlayStation of course. While the reaction to this move has been mixed, shall we say, within the community, it sounds as though Xbox developers at large are pretty pleased with the decision.

Talking with 404 Media, Bloomberg's ever-reliable Jason Schreier spoke about the situation, and how "a lot" of these studios are "thrilled that they get to release their games on PlayStation". Schreier hinted at sales pressure being a core reason why the teams are happy to get their games out there on PS5.

"A lot of these [Xbox first-party games] are put on Game Pass, which means they’re not selling as much because people can just subscribe and get them for much cheaper than they would if they bought them. That complicates the math for a lot of these studios. A lot of game studios are now actually thrilled that they get to release their games on PlayStation, which is a recent phenomenon that's been happening in the last year or so."

Coming off the back of a recent report that Microsoft is now aiming for 30% profits from its Xbox gaming division (also via Schreier/Bloomberg), this makes a lot of sense. As the quote above suggests, game sales on Xbox are likely being impacted by Game Pass, so the extra revenue brought in by PS5 sales should be helping the studios hit any internal targets that are being set.

Of course, there's also the fact that game developers just like as many folks as possible to experience their creations. We've seen this being touted as a net positive for the multiplatform push on multiple occasions, so yeah, it makes sense that a lot of the Xbox teams would be happy to get their games out there to more players!

Over the weekend, Level-5 released a brand new update for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, booting the football RPG up to ver. 1.3.0 and adding some new features in the process.

The newbies this time around are a level cap feature for Ranked and Lobby matches, and two new opportunities to switch characters when using the in-game menus. There are a bunch of balancing adjustments and bug fixes included in this one too, so it will be well worth checking out for the best experience possible.

The full patch notes were shared on the official Inazuma Eleven website, and we have gathered them together for you to check out below.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Ver. 1.3.0 (Released 21st Nov 2025)

Feature Additions / Adjustments

Added a Level Cap Feature to Ranked Matches and Lobby Matches

• Added a Level 50 cap to Ranked Matches to ensure more intense and balanced competition. Any character above this level will be automatically adjusted down to 50. For lobby matches, players now have the option to enable or disable this cap.

Added a Feature to Switch Characters on the Abilearn Board

• Added a feature that allows players to switch to other characters in the same Team Dock directly from the Abilearn Board.

Added a Feature to Switch Characters on the Equipment Menu

• Added a feature that allows players to switch to other characters in the same Team Dock directly from the Equipment Menu.

Balance Adjustments

Adjusted Training Goals in Story Mode Chapter 9

• Adjusted the training goals in Chapter 9 of Story Mode.

  • When playing on another platform via Cross-Save, training goals may appear higher due to differences between versions.

Adjusted Experience Requirements for Leveling Up

• Adjusted the amount of experience required for all characters to level up.

Added Level Sync for Avatars in Story Mode

• When using an Avatar in Story Mode matches, any Avatar at level 51 or above will now be adjusted down to level 50.

Retrying a Story Match Will Now Carry Over the Score

• Adjusted Story Mode matches so that if you lose and retry from mid-match, the score up to that point will now be carried over.

Adjusted Experience Gains for Lower-Level Characters

• Adjusted the system so that up to five lower-level characters among the sixteen members in the Team Dock will receive a post-match experience bonus. The bonus scales based on the level gap between each of the lowest five characters and the team's average level.

Countermeasures for Idling in Ranked Matches

• Implemented the following measures:

  • In the case of defeat, rewards will only be granted if the match was played through to the end.

  • Experience earned upon defeat has been reduced to one quarter.

  • Conceding a match will no longer grant rewards.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where a player who has not completed Story Mode competing against a player who has in Ranked Matches or Lobby Matches would result in the acquisition of characters from South Cirrus not yet obtained in the story, preventing further progression.

• Fixed an issue in the Spirit Exchange where used Spirits would not decrease even after being spent.

• Fixed an issue where Ranked Match points were still awarded even if the connection was canceled during a Ranked Match.

• Fixed an issue in the Special Training Gatling Kraken Trap that prevented it from being cleared when played at a high frame rate.

• Fixed an issue in BB Stadium where, after selecting "Continue from save" to resume Campaign Mode and winning a match, the game would sometimes fail to progress when attempting to start the next one.

• Fixed an issue in Story Mode Chapter 6 where the game would sometimes fail to progress after winning the skill showdown.

• Fixed an issue in the Story Mode Chapter 8 match against Royal Academy where the screen effect of a Special Tactic could sometimes remain on screen.

• Fixed an issue in the Story Mode Chapter 8 match against Royal Academy where the same Special Tactic could be used twice in a row during the second half.

• Fixed an issue in Story Mode where the number of abilities owned was displayed incorrectly due to referencing items from other modes.

• Fixed an issue in Story Mode Chapter 9 where, when controlling Darian Moonward, players could fast travel to South Cirrus Junior High but were unable to return to Raimon, preventing further progression.

• Fixed an issue in Story Mode where opening the map exactly as the player touched the red dashed line marking an impassable area could cause the game to become unresponsive.

• Fixed an issue where, in environments with significant network latency, performing a penalty kick during online play could prevent the game from progressing, as no goal animation would play after the shot.

• Fixed an issue in Story Mode Chapter 9 during the Raimon Junior High match where, after completing the mission Take a shot, the screen could remain dark and the game could become stuck if the shot was blocked.

• Fixed an issue where, during a zone, the game could sometimes become unprogressable when a character collided with the castle wall and lost the ball at the same time as executing a shooting move.

• Fixed an issue in Chapter 8 of Story Mode during the match against Royal Academy where, if a foul was committed while controlling Cade Shelby during the mission Successfully pass the ball to Cade, the Mix 'n' Match event would be skipped.

• Fixed an issue where the number of Focus Squabble Wins in Activities was not being counted.

• Fixed an issue where, during a zone, the game could sometimes become unprogressable if a pass was made to a character just before their Keshin Armourfy was deactivated and a direct shot was executed simultaneously.

• Fixed an issue where, in environments with significant network latency, the goalkeeper command would sometimes fail to trigger against a pass-into-immediate-shot sequence, causing a goal to be scored without a save attempt.

• Fixed an issue in Online Bond Town where the application could sometimes become unresponsive if another player joined while you were sending a chat message.

• Fixed an issue where, by following a specific sequence of steps, players could form a party with three or more HEROES.

We'll be kicking off our full thoughts on Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road on Switch 2 soon enough, so keep an eye out to see what we make of Level-5's latest.

With just one week to go before Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives on Switch 2, Ubisoft has updated the game's eShop page with some noteworthy details to keep in mind before you buy. Like, for example, the dreaded file size.

According to the updated listing, Shadows will take up a beefy 62.8 GB on your system. It's not the most surprising news considering the size of the game, but it's something to keep an eye on as we head towards release.

For reference, this file size puts Shadows above the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 (60.6 GB), Madden NFL 26 (57.1 GB), and Yakuza 0: Director's Cut (45.3 GB), but it's still a good step below Split Fiction (69.2 GB) and the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (90-95 GB). Not the end of the world, then, but it might be time to start looking for a Micro SD Express, if you're hoping to have a couple of these in your library.

For those who missed the initial announcement, Assassin's Creed Shadows will arrive on Switch 2 on 2nd December, complete with cross-progression saves, touchscreen support and all the title updates you could wish for — apart from the Claws of Awaji expansion, you'll have to wait until 2026 for that.

Prolific Game Boy developer Gumpy Function (AKA Tom Lockwood, one of the talented people behind the amazing Grimace's Birthday) has just announced the release of Feed IT Souls: Department of Martian Efficiency Edition, a Metroidvania for the Game Boy Color which serves as a remake of his GB Compo 23 game jam effort.

Described by its creator as a title which satirises Elon Musk and the "techno-feudalists of the corporate world", the game's origin was inspired by Musk's purchase of the social media platform Twitter back in 2023.

"You are the offspring of IT, a bio-technological monstrosity after only one thing - delicious souls," reads the game's itch.io page. "Seek out and retrieve souls to feed your master. His power is your power. Every soul retrieved will enhance your mobility as you explore your surroundings."

Costing just $5 and playable on original GBC hardware or via emulation, Feed IT Souls: DOME Edition showcases new areas, new enemies, reworked artwork, in-game achievements, an overhauled game engine and a new Key Performance Indicator mode that "enables a classic life system for extra challenge".

Furthermore, you also get a digital manual "in the style of classic GBC manuals from the late 1990s and 2000s."

The developer has also confirmed that the game is coming to Playtiles Season 1 next week. Playtiles, in case you weren't aware, is a new operating system for smartphones that adds tactile buttons to your device's touchscreen via a removable, silicon-based "tile".

Lockwood has also revealed that he is no longer publishing his games via ModRetro, the company founded by Palmer Luckey, which is behind the FPGA-based Chromatic and M64 consoles.

When Irem & City Connection announced that they were working on a port of R-Type Delta HD Boosted for modern consoles and PCs earlier this year, there was a lot of excitement online. And it's pretty easy to understand why.

The original game is frequently listed online for hundreds of pounds on the secondhand market, making this new version a potentially cheaper alternative for those who want to get their hands on the PS1 game, without breaking the bank.

Reviews for the game dropped on Thursday, November 20th (the same day as the game's release) and have so far been pretty universally positive, with our friends at Nintendo Life giving it a 9, while our other sister site, Push Square, awarded it an 8 in its own review. However, it appears there may be some issues that those reviews, and other reviewers online, didn't pick up on, with Japanese players now taking to social media to highlight issues with missing effects and desynced audio, which are reportedly caused by the new version's lack of slowdown (thanks, OhFivePro, for the spot!).

This appears to be most evident in a section before the end credits, in which there are a bunch of buildings onscreen that are supposed to slowly sink into space and vanish. In the new game, because the slowdown from the original has been removed, these buildings now simply fall off the side of the screen, with the audio then sharply cutting as the staff roll begins. There are also reports that the game is now harder too, with the third stage, in particular, proving "abnormally difficult" for some.

In a Gamespark interview from earlier this month, R-Type Delta HD Boosted producer Nobuhiro Yoshikawa shared a few interesting details with the publication about the creation of the game, which does go some way to explaining why the port may not be as accurate to the original experience as players may have wanted.

In the interview, Yoshikawa stated, for instance, that only "60 to 70 per cent" of the original game's source code has survived, with City Connection having to supplement what was already there. In addition to this, the team also made a conscious decision to remove frame lag, with the producer stating this decision was based on comments that R-Type Delta's original director, Hiroya Kita, once gave in an interview, in which he stated the PS1 game's slowdown was reportedly not an intended feature.

Yoshikawa acknowledged that the game would play differently because of this production choice, but did not refer to any changes to the way audio would be implemented to compensate.

As of right now, neither Irem nor City Connection have acknowledged the issue, so it's unknown whether they will attempt to address this with future updates. We've reached out to its Western publisher, Clear River Games, for comment.

It's been particularly pleasing to see Capcom and Marvel hook up again in recent years, as I was a massive fan of the many superb one-on-one fighters the pair collaborated on in the '90s.

So much so that any little piece of trivia relating to these games is like catnip to me – so I must thank the always-excellent vgdensetsu for unearthing this fact about Marvel vs. Capcom, one of my personal favourites.

I always wondered why Capcom decided to replace Iron Man (who was present in Marvel Super Heroes) with War Machine, a relatively minor character from the comics who would ultimately use the same sprite design. Why remove such a famous face only to replace him with the same sprite, but in black and grey?

According to former Capcom staffer Atsushi Tomita (also known as Tomichin), this was done because Capcom briefly lost the video game rights to the Iron Man character to Acclaim, which released the critically panned Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal in 1996.

"The reason we couldn't include Iron Man in Marvel vs. Capcom was because we couldn't get the rights (Acclaim had the exclusive rights at the time)," says Tomita on social media (translated by Google). "We wanted to include a character with the same abilities we created in Marvel Super Heroes, so we named him War Machine and got permission from Marvel."

Tomita also acknowledges that the palette swap created some inconsistencies with how the War Machine character appeared in the Marvel comics. "At the time, in the original comics, War Machine never wore armor with that design, but Marvel had become more tolerant by this time and was understanding. In the victory demo and other illustrations, Bengus drew the original design, which is completely different from the one in the game, but no one criticized it."

War Machine plays almost exactly like Iron Man in Marvel vs. Capcom, bar some animation changes. However, by the time Marvel vs. Capcom 2 came around in 2000, Capcom was able to reintroduce Iron Man and, therefore, make War Machine a little more individual.